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flee away, they fee no good.

Ecclef.125. Man geeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.

2 Pet. 1,13. Tea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this Tabernacle, to stir you up, by putting you in remembrance,

V.14. Knowing, that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle, even as our Lord Fefus Christ. bath fhewed me.

Pfal 37.37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace. Job 27.8. But what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he have gained, when God taketh away bis foul?

II. of Fudgment.

It is mainly neceffary in order to the practife of Godlineß, and ordering our converfation aright, that we firmly believe, and have frequent, deep, and ferious meditations of the day of judg

ment.

In treating of which I shall enquire,

1. How we may be affured there is a judgment.

to come?

2. Who will be the Fudge at that great Affizes?

3. What will be the nature and manner of that udgment? What the judicial proceedings at that, Q9 3

day?

4. What

4. What the Confequents of it? For the first.

The Scripture feems to hold forth unto us a twofold judgment to come,

Firft, Particular, which followes immediatly after death. Thus is that understood, Ecclef 12.7. Then fhall the dust return to the carth, as it was, and the Spirit fball return to God who gave it,i.e, to be judged by him, as the Chaldee Paraphrast doch well explain it. And that Hiftorical Parable of Dives and Lazarus thews how immediately after they were dead, the one went to Hell, the other to Abrahams bofom. That (I fay) doth fhew, that every one particularly, when he dieth, judged, and receiveth either reward or punish

ment.

Secondly, General, at the end of the world. The certainty of which may appear to us from thefe Arguments,

1. From the voice of natural Canfcienu, which is very fenfible of it. Falix trembled, when Raul preached of it, Acts 24. 25. And when he difcourfed to the Atherians, thofe grea Lights of the Gentile world, Ats 17.31. That God hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousneß, by that man whom k bab ordained whereof be bath given affurance st to all men, in that he hath raised him from t dead; found fome who mocked when they hea of the refurrection of the dead, but against th

589 day of judgment none replied. So true it is which the fame Apostle elsewhere faies of the Gentiles, who had but the light of Nature (and fo a natural Confcience) that they shew the work of the Law written in their hearts, their Confciences alfo bearing witneffe, and their thoughts the mean while accufing, or excufing one another, Rom.

12.15.

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2. From the Fuftice of God, which requires it. God being the Fudge of the world, as well as the Creator, we may infallibly conclude he will judge the world in righteoufneffe. But as the affairs of this prefent life are ordered (though they lie under the difpofition of Providence) yet they shew no fign of an univerfal Fuftise. Oftentimes the wicked flourish and profper, while the righteous are afflicted and in mifery. In this life nothing more certain, than that rewards are hot correfpondent to the vertues, nor punishments proportionable to the fins of men. It therefore here be a Fudge of the world (and that judge be juft) there is a judgment to come in another world, and the effects thereof concern another ife. In that day there will be a revelation of the ighteous judgment of God, Rom.2.5. God will hen fhew a perfect demonstration of his Fustice, nd men fhall difcern between the righteous and he wicked, between him that ferveth God and him hat ferveth him not, Mal.3.18.

3. From the clear and manifeft declaration of

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the will of God. We have an expreffe manifes on of Gods will and purpose concerning as ment to come, Ecclef.12.14. For God he every work into judgment, with every thing, whether it be good, or whether it bes Acts 17.30. But now God commandeth de every where to repent. V. 31. Because he hate pointed a day in the which he will judge the waris righteoufneffe, by that man whom be haberies No Doctrine more clear and fund and the Word of God, than that of Eters, Heb 6.2. Wherein the Fudge will feat an eternall state.

4. From a reprefentation of it to the fome of Gods fervants in Divine vifiens. A Daniel, Chap.7.9. I beheld till the Threats caft down, and the Ancient of daies didfu, garment was white as fnow, and the hair head like the pure wool ; his Throne was like ti ry flame, and his wheels as burning fire, V.10. fiery fream iffued and came forth from before is Thonfand Thousands miniftred unto him, an thousand times ten thousand stood before him:" judgment was fet and the books were opened. likewife to St. John, Rev. 20.12. And the dead fmall and great stand before God, the books were opened; and another book wa ed, which is the book of life; and the dead's judged out of those things, which were writtes the books, according to their works. The Ter

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therefore hath been already feen; the Fudge hath appeared fiting on it, the Books have been already opened; the dead, fmall and great have been feen, ftanding before him. The reprefentation of it to the eye, in thofe Divine vifions, is a farther affurance of the certainty of it, than if it had only been foretold, and to reprefented to

the ear.

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We see then there will be a day of judg

ment.

2. In the fecond place, let us enquire who that Perfon is who shall be the Fudge at that great Affizes; who fhall fit upon the Throne, before whose Tribunal we shall all appear; from whose mouth we may expect our fentence. The judiciary power is the power of God. The power and authority of judging is common to the three Perfons, being one and the fame God; but the execution of this judiciary power is committed particularly to the Son; and fo the Father and the Holy Ghoft will actually judge the world no otherwife but by him. He is ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead, Acts 10.42. He will judge the world by that man whom he hath ordained, &c. Acts 17. 31. The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son. He hath given him authority to execute judgment, John 5.22,27. There is therefore an original, fupream, judiciary power, and a judiciary power delegated, derived, given by commißion. Christ as God hath

the

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